Fairy Tales
by Sleia
Summary: Kanda, Captain of the notorious Black Order, discovers a boy named Allen during a raid on the Noahs. They inevitably grow closer, but Allen's identity makes him a prize for the Noah – and a curse for Kanda and his crew. Not that Kanda knew. Yullen.
1. And So They Met

Title: Fairy Tales

Summary: Kanda, Captain of the notorious _Black Order_, discovers a fey-like boy named Allen during a raid on the Noahs. They inevitably grow closer, but Allen's identity makes him a prize for the Noah – and a curse for Kanda and his crew. Not that Kanda knew. Yullen.

* * *

…_Because fairy tales are as far removed from reality as he was from freedom. _

It was a famous legend the drunken spoke of, inside taverns filled with bawdy conversations. There was once a man known as Mana. He was like the sea in human form; within shadowed bays, dolphins frolicked at his feet, in rivers sprinkled with sunlight, fishes gamboled around him in hoards, and at the wide, sapphire-blue expanse of the sea, all manner of sea creatures, predator and prey alike, came and told him tales of precious stones, of treasure in forgotten troves, of shipwrecks lying deep beneath the sea. The waves bowed to him and the winds were at his beck and command.

They say he was lordly, the ruler of the seas. He knew all there was to know about the sea, all her moods and all her whims.

They say that it was a magical era, and some claimed that the man had even met the enchantresses of the sea, the merpeople and the nymphs. Bullshit, others spat.

They say the man had a treasure, of beauty mortals could never comprehend, of price greater than the world itself.

For the man was a pirate.

Those were magnificent days indeed, days of conquests and passion and life, the world filled with otherworldly creatures. The latter part was whispered and quickly hushed, for centuries ago the gods – if they even existed – had washed their hands off this filthy world, and all the creatures of myth, the wise centaurs and whimsical faeries and others of the ilk had disappeared with them.

If they even existed, of course.

But in the end…

…It was only a fairy tale.

* * *

Foreboding clouds gathered above the streamlined vessel. Lightning flashed across the horizon, once, twice, and thrice. Then the faraway sound of rumbling thunder came, as though a giant sea creature were awakening from its deep slumber.

The seas turned choppy, the dark blue waters churning. Turbulence rocked the ship back and forth as the waves crashed unrelentingly upon its sides.

But the crew was made of hardened sailors. _Ha!_ They cried, laughing at the tempest. The ship, or _Black Order_, as the paint slapped upon its side spelled, was tough, and it would get out of this storm with nary a scratch.

This storm was but a minor problem. The crew merrily sang _Yo Ho Ho_ at the top of their sea-worn voices as they attended to their duties.

Then the door to the captain's cabin slammed open. Idly, some wondered if the knob had left (yet another) dent in the wooden wall. A redhead flew out of it laughing nervously. With an outstretched hand, he grabbed the nearest man and hid behind him.

That nearest man suddenly found a sharp, glinting katana pressed against his neck. His gaze slowly passed along the curved katana, the muscled arm holding it, and finally the positively murderous expression of the captain.

He gulped and fervently cursed the redhead behind him – in his mind, at least.

"Y-Yuu?" The redhead ventured.

The captain growled. "Call me that _one more time_, and I swear to the gods above – I will shove this up your ass."

"But, Yu–" At the captain's glare, he hastily corrected, "I mean, Kanda, you don't even believe in the gods!"

"Do I even look like I _care_?"

Gozu, caught between them, was feeling awfully awkward, no thanks to the cold metal pressed against his neck. As Kanda made an angered swipe at Lavi with his sword, Mugen, he let out a relieved sigh even as Lavi's shriek rang out across the deck.

The rest of the crew, amused, watched the pair as Lavi ran and Kanda chased, the former ducking behind masts. It was a typical affair, and the deck was soon in an uproar as bets were placed with the majority on Lavi's sorrowful end.

Lavi, who was currently mounting the ship's masts, was let down by the crew's lack of faith in their own quartermaster. Kanda, who didn't care, stabbed at his foot from below.

He decided to try persuasion.

"Yuu? Y'know, I thought we were friends and – _ouch_ shit! – friends are supposed to care for each other in sickness and in health and first names are a way of showing I care so much for you and _damn_ you nearly got my leg! How could you!" He rambled.

Kanda paused in his stabbing long enough to say, "And this is my way of showing that I care." Then he resumed his efforts with renewed vigour.

"By mutilating your friend? But we grew up together and played together and _laughed _toge–" The mast ripped right next to his head, courtesy of Kanda's katana. It would probably have sliced right through his neck too if it hadn't been for Marie's hasty intervention.

"Kanda. We're fast approaching _The Chamberlain's Men_. Your orders, please." He requested in that solid way of his. As an afterthought he added, "Oh, and Lavi, put more effort into your cracks next time. Kanda, well, he doesn't _laugh_. At all. Too unbelievable, that last one."

Kanda snorted. That was the understatement of the century. Screw laughing, he didn't even do _smiling_.

Lavi, whose attention was caught by the sight of another ship still a distance away, suddenly had his grin wiped off his face.

"Uh, Cap'n? I think you should check this out. See, their cannons? They're kind of pointing straight at us." Kanda took a single look and scowled. He hastily started to snap out orders.

Amidst the general chaos and shouts of '_To the starboard!'_, Lavi took a moment to do what he thought of as composing himself, and what most others thought of as being plain lazy.

Marie, who lounged beside him, suggested, "Perhaps you should be helping out, _Quartermaster_?"

"All in good time, mate. 'Sides, the crew are plenty used to such situations. We do get fired at a lot." He quickly strode away and whistled innocently as Kanda caught sight of him slacking off, waving back at Marie as he did so.

Then he added under his breath.

"After all, we're _pirates_."

* * *

The two ships, _Black Order_ and _The Chamberlain's Men_, were connected by gangplanks and fastened into place by numerous ropes stemming from the former. Pirates hauled themselves along these ropes expertly, swarming onto the vessel of the Royal Navy like ants, their teeth clenching swords and evil-looking cutlasses.

Pirates below deck fired cannons in a non-uniform, trigger-happy manner as wood splintered and gaping holes formed in the other ship while their counterparts retaliated in an orderly way. The latter method was rather a waste of time, and even the Navy soldiers thought so themselves, except it simply wasn't a good idea to rebuke your dumb superior.

Kanda, first to board the other ship, wasted no time in slaughtering the far more inexperienced crew. He fought with Mugen as though it were an extension of him, master of the art, all practiced slashes and blows. Quick as lightning too, Lavi noted, as an unfortunate opponent found the sword buried in him, his mouth wide open in surprise. He watched as Kanda whirled, sword flashing as blood pooled like the rain a second later. By now the other crew was but a motley bunch, though it would be just a tad unfair to say that their captain was unskilled.

The rest of them, however, wielded their swords like they would skillets. The pirates finished them off as easily as they would their dinner.

It was at this point when the reinforcements came.

The ship arrived silently, like a harbinger of death. Lavi glimpsed the flag and his cheer disappeared in record time. A glance at Kanda showed that he already had his eyes locked onto the other dark-skinned captain, dressed in elegant clothes typical of nobility. A row of stigmata across his forehead revealed his lineage – from the esteemed Noah family, the official overlords and ladies of the sea, and chief executives of the Royal Navy.

It was Tyki Mikk.

They'd had several skirmishes with this particular man – or demon, indeed – before, and each time that sickening smirk never left his face. The mere sight of his face roused up memories Lavi never wanted to remember and set fire to his blood. His hand found the hilt of his sword as he unsheathed it for the first time that day, and his fingers clenched around it as though it were Tyki's neck. All former vestiges of his laid-back self had long since walked the plank, as the man who haunted his nightmares stood well and alive before him.

He hated that man, hated his unfailing smile, hated his very existence with his very soul, and the hatred burned and burned like red-hot anger, fast and furious as his expression became borderline crazed. His heart thudded in its cage and his hands shook ever so slightly with anticipation.

Tyki grinned at him and mouthed, "How's your grandfather?"

Fury overtook him as the memories rose and engulfed him like a tide, empowering him as he released a bloodcurdling cry of rage. He swung himself onto Tyki's ship, _3__rd_, teeth bared and sword raised. As though from a faraway distance, he dimly noted that Tyki's crew was boosting the enemy forces.

The scales tipped in the Noah's favour.

* * *

Kanda sheathed his sword. Even as his men fought aboard _The Chamberlain's Men_, hook and tooth and nail, the rain washed away all traces of blood.

But it was not an easy fight.

Tyki's crew was the elite of the elite, every single of them born and bred for fighting. His crew, though strong, was showing signs of tire and their faces were strained. Their movements, more dull than agile and strong, were more easily overpowered. Both sides dealt each other increasingly severe wounds, and the rain, which hampered their vision and soaked their clothes, didn't help.

Yes, it would certainly be a hard fight, Kanda judged.

He contemplated jumping into the fray. But his crew was a sturdy lot, and his trust in their abilities hadn't been betrayed so far. In any case, there was a mystery he had to get to the bottom of.

This particular ship they'd decided to attack, in their efforts to antagonize the Noah's family and to restock their provisions, wasn't of any notable importance. It was just a mere patrol ship, one among hundreds of them, and the Noah wouldn't have cared much. In fact, Kanda himself wouldn't have cared to attack it if it wasn't because the ship was conveniently near theirs.

So what would make it so vital to the Noah, so much so that a Noah himself would appear to protect it? As far as Kanda knew, even the Noah themselves weren't awarded such privilege from the Millennium Earl – though their battle prowess might have made it redundant.

What was it that this ship carried which warranted such special treatment?

Kanda decided to find out for himself.

Such delicate items would usually be in the captain's cabin, but a short search revealed nothing of much importance. He did find a small locked chest about the length of his outstretch hands, filled with coins. Those coins were now in his pouch and secured to his belt.

Next he tried the cargo hold, but again there was nothing but the usual items. Weapons, gunpowder, a carton of rum tucked behind other boxes, uniforms and luggage and other suchlike, and there was nothing, nothing at all that was precious, that was priceless – nothing at all that would deal a decisive blow in their war with the Noah.

Nothing.

Perhaps it might be a prisoner, down in the brig. But it was unlikely, and Kanda found his scowl growing as he walked down the rust-coated steps.

The lighting down here was dim. Mould grew in large, sickly green patches along the wall and barnacles encrusted the ground. A rat squeaked at his approach, fleeing into an unseen corner. But otherwise, it was completely silent down here – there was no sign of life, no sign of a prisoner.

He forged onwards silent as a predator, his breathing even. Down this corridor, evidence of the Navy's corruption was obvious. Compared to the stainless pristine upstairs, down here was a rat's haven.

Bodies still shackled in chains were heaped against the wall in their prison cells on either side of him. Their eyes stared sightlessly ahead, a silent plea for – what, redemption? It was a lacking commodity in the Navy. Clothes stained with their fear and pain hung loosely on starved frames, torn with whips and swords. The scent of vomit was faint in the air. The entire place, coated with the blood of dozens upon dozens, stank of cruelty.

But Kanda knew.

He knew that the torture was far worse in the ships of the Noah, having been on one of them before. That particular Noah was dead. But there'd been losses on their side too, losses that should never have been made.

Alma had been captured then. Had he ended up like one of these souls, tortured? He, who always smiled and was so kind and pure, had he suffered something he didn't deserve? Was he…

…Dead?

He shook his head to get rid of these persisting thoughts. It was useless to brood. Alma was already dead.

Now he focused on where he was, and details of his surroundings came out in sharper focus. The air was murky here, dead with the smell of rotting corpses.

Kanda walked on and on, down the corridor. He was ready to give up as he neared the end when he peered customarily into the last cell.

And within was a person with white hair, white as how he'd envisioned an angel to be when he was a kid, white as snow.

His back, facing Kanda, was crisscrossed with lacerations of the sort made by whips, some half healed and scabbed over, some still dripping fresh blood. The person knelt on the hard ground, held up by chains hanging from the ceiling. His head hung against his chest, and Kanda assumed that he was unconscious, till he spoke.

"Come back so soon already, Captain?" And he turned and looked at Kanda, and Kanda's breath caught in surprise.

The boy was _beautiful_. He possessed skin soft like a newborn's and his eyes were doe-like and grey as the seas, and you could stare in them and be lost in those depths, brimming full of wisdom and knowledge and determination, and most of all sorrow, great sorrow. Cheeks, still lined with baby fat, accentuated his innocence, and his lips were a delicate pink, like that of the cherry blossoms of his homeland. His features were effeminate, and you could see it even in the ridge of his nose, his lashes, and his white brows.

There was a scar on the left of his face, an upside down pentagram running down to his cheek, and it stood out all the more against his pale skin. But it wasn't ugly, no, it simply made him even more special.

He was beauty in definition, and it was an inhuman beauty. The boy looked as though he were haloed by light, and even his gaze, measuring and defiant, added only to his otherworldly looks.

Then the boy asked calmly, but in rattling breaths, "Did the Captain send you to torture me instead, or has Tyki arrived?"

And Kanda snapped back to himself.

With a hand on Mugen, he shot back, "Are you the one Tyki Mikk's after, brat?"

The boy retaliated, "Do you see anyone else in here? And the name's Allen, she-male." And his tone was as though he were talking to an idiot, which he probably thought Kanda was. Kanda, on the other hand, found himself questioning his hearing, because the not-angel in front of him had just _insulted_ him. In fact, he'd been called a _she-male_.

A _she-male_.

Kanda, well, Kanda did _not_ take that sort of attitude from those younger than him. Or from those older than him. Or anyone at all.

And he would have hit the boy named Allen, or perhaps threaten him with his sword, if it hadn't been so clear that he had been through a lot. And unfortunately, he wasn't nearly so heartless as to hit an incapacitated person. He'd hit him later instead.

So Kanda quelled his temper and said, "I'll be taking you, then."

With two expert swings of his sword, he sliced open the shackles. Allen would have fallen forwards, but Kanda caught him and hoisted him onto his shoulder, carrying him as he would luggage. The boy struggled weakly, but it was nothing Kanda couldn't handle.

They went up, out of the brig and onto the deck, where the fighting still ensued and where the rain fell heavily onto their heads. On the _3__rd_, Lavi looked the worse for wear, though Tyki Mikk looked as pristine as he always did.

Kanda grabbed on to a rope and bellowed, "Retreat!" Then he swung back onto his own ship, shifted Allen and held Mugen to his neck.

"Do not give chase, or I will kill this boy!" Tyki Mikk growled furiously, but Kanda pressed the sword against Allen's neck, and Tyki immediately repeated the order to his crew.

One by one, Kanda's crew escaped from the chaos, some of them supporting a comrade. He saw Lavi clash swords one last time with Tyki, but he too retreated.

None of the enemy stopped them.

* * *

So. We have here my first attempt at the DGM fandom, and I'm hoping it's to your tastes so far. I'd really appreciate some criticism, like how I could've done better, but simply hearing if you loved it or hated it would be really nice too.

Thanks for reading this, and I'll update it within a week.

Happy New Year!


	2. The Beansprout

Back in his cabin, Kanda dropped Allen on his bed.

The boy hissed in pain and tried to lift himself up, snarling for the umpteenth time, "You're a _pirate_." But his voice was raspy and he looked more like a soaked cat, which rather undermined his words.

Kanda shrugged, saying, "And I saved you, beansprout."

"I'm not a beansprout!" Allen protested.

"You're my hostage; I call you whatever I want."

And, thank the Gods, the boy finally shut his mouth and stilled, staring at Kanda warily.

Kanda took out a bottle of alcohol, cloth and bandages from the side of his bed and in a rare fit of kindness, began to dress the Allen's wounds. To his credit, the boy didn't make a single noise, nor did he move a muscle.

_Was this how he dealt with the torture too?_

He started to wrap the bandages around Allen's torso gently, and the boy half-lifted himself up to make it easier. Finally he tied up the ends and the job was done. He stood back and studied the boy, receiving the same look in turn.

The seconds dragged on.

Then Allen said evenly, "Thanks. You're a pirate, but I suppose you're not a bad one."

Again he shrugged, this time because he was unused to praise.

"Rest for now. I'll get someone to bring you food and water later."

And Kanda stalked out of his cabin, feeling Allen's measuring eyes on him all the while. He pretended not to hear the boy's whisper.

"_Thank you_, _so much._"

Because the boy sounded haunted, chillingly so.

Kanda wondered what exactly he had saved (or kidnapped) the boy from.

* * *

Lavi knocked on the door, a tray of food and water on his hands. When there was no reply, he entered anyway, shutting the door behind him with a soft click. Kanda's hostage slept snugly on the bed, and even though he'd seen him once already, he still found himself awed by that person's beauty.

And then he found himself questioning his sanity.

The hostage was sleeping soundly on _Kanda's_ bed, with his bandages wrapped by _Kanda_, and with food brought to him on the order of none other than _Kanda_.

_The_ Kanda himself, who was the most distinctly uncaring individual he had ever met. And Lavi smirked, because now he had something else to tease Kanda with.

Then the hostage stirred and opened his eyes blearily.

"Good morning – or afternoon, beansprout!" Lavi greeted in a friendly manner.

The boy jerked up in reflex, then hissed as the movement pulled at his wounds.

"Whoa, easy there, mate! I'm just here to deliver your food!" Lavi announced. "The name's Lavi. I'm quartermaster of the _Black Order_. The guy who saved you, he's Kanda."

The boy blinked in surprise.

Then he gave a polite smile and introduced, "I'm Allen, Allen Walker. Nice to meet you." And then Allen's gaze swiveled to the food. Lavi smiled bemusedly and held it out to him.

And Lavi blinked.

The tray had been piled full of food, from stew and soup to salad and fruits, courtesy of Jerry. It had been _really_ heavy, not that Lavi was complaining. And, uh, the boy – or monster rather, just wolfed it down in five seconds flat.

Five seconds.

Lavi stared.

And Allen's stomach rumbled.

"You're, uh, still hungry?" Lavi asked nervously. Allen nodded shamefacedly.

Lavi laughed, and reassured, "'S fine, mate. We've got people here who've bigger appetites." He led Allen out to the ship's kitchen, where their overenthusiastic chef hummed and worked.

And in five minutes, he felt like he was dying.

Because, that boy who was so much_ smaller _than him, had eaten about thrice his weight. And the stacked bowls loomed over Lavi threateningly, just like how Kanda would when he found out how much he had let Allen eat. And more bowls were still being added to the grotesque pile before him.

Jerry was exceedingly pleased with Allen's black hole of a stomach. He whipped up dish after dish, cuisine after cuisine, and Lavi was starting to feel claustrophobic in this small room, filled from floor to ceiling with Allen's dishes.

Being the quartermaster, he was, to a certain extent, in charge of their supplies. That included food, which had been estimated to last about three months, and was now about to run out in three hours. _If_ Allen could still keep eating, that was.

Lavi was scared.

And now the crew was gathering around Allen, cheering Allen on and taking bets on how much _more_ he could eat like nobody's business. Those louts, didn't they care about their precious _food_? At this rate, the entire crew was going to survive on leather soon.

_Boot_ leather, to be exact.

Now where was Kanda when he needed him?

As if on cue, the Saviour himself arrived in the form of Kanda. He glared murderously at everyone and in that instant, smiles were wiped off of faces as cleanly as detergent would, hands holding coins dropped awkwardly, and a deathly silence fell. Everyone stared back at Kanda and gulped extremely nervously.

Except for Allen, who continued to shovel food into his mouth.

Lavi felt that he had a duty to report to Kanda, and explained, "It wasn't my fault!"

Immediately Kanda's freezing glare focused on him. Lavi self-evaluated himself and thought that he'd have wet himself if he'd still been five.

"No, really, it wasn't me! Beansprout there just keeps eating and eating, and I couldn't stop him!" _Not that I tried_, but Lavi wasn't about to say that out loud.

Allen finally put down his bowl – hopefully his last – of soba and corrected, "The name's Allen!"

Lavi realized what Allen had been eating. He decided to start planning his will.

Swallowing, he asked, "Chef? Jerry? You, uh, still have more soba left over, right?"

Kanda stared at the Chef.

"Allen there just finished the last one, I guess?" Was the Chef's reply.

And Allen's execution letter was signed.

In a split second, Kanda drew his sword. Everyone there – Lavi included – expected Allen to meet a very bloody, very swift death. As such they were all shocked when Allen parried the blow with a sword of his own and neatly dodged the second swipe as well.

Lavi wondered where Allen had gotten that sword from. He looked down at his empty sheath.

_Oh_, he thought stupidly.

Allen and Kanda brought the fighting out of the room and into the deck. The latter, of course, fought well, each blow fast and furious. None drew blood.

It wasn't surprising to see Kanda fight the way he did – each slash purposeful, efficient. He fought nothing like the pompous sword masters, all flowery moves, and who couldn't defeat a bug even with a ten foot pole.

But it certainly _was_ surprising to see that Allen fought the same way. And that he was on equal footing as Kanda, who wiped the floor with nearly everyone else.

He ducked, dodged, defended, and he attacked.

He grinned, and Lavi understood that grin. It wasn't that he was underestimating Kanda – hell no, even a fool wouldn't do that – but more that he was enjoying himself in the swordfight.

The both of them were a blur of movement. Neither stayed in the same spot for more than a moment, their bodies nimble and agile as they spun and turned. It was like a dance, synchronized and lethally beautiful, and each misstep would cost them dearly.

But Lavi doubted that neither would hurt the other.

Dare he say, but Kanda was smirking, as though he were having _fun_.

And finally, the deciding blow came. Allen blocked it, naturally, but his blade itself broke into two sad pieces. Eyes followed the disconnected shard as it looped through the air, and finally buried itself next to Lavi's head.

Lavi felt his heart shatter.

It was not because of his near-death experience, but rather because _his_ sword was _broken_.

_Broken, _he thought, with an air of dismal finality.

But Lavi was practical, and he promptly figured he could get another one anyway, and his attention went back to the match.

Allen, who had a sword to his neck, had both his hands up in surrender. Or so Kanda might've thought, except the moment he drew back his sword, Allen stepped in and kneed him in the stomach.

He choked furiously and spluttered, "You _surrendered_!"

And Allen smugly replied, "Ah, but I didn't say so."

His grin infuriated Kanda, who snarled, "You cheater!" and toppled him in a judo's throw.

He landed hard on his back and winced, once again finding a sword at his jugular. Kanda stared at him expectantly.

He sulked, and acceded, "I give. For now, anyway."

"Try again in a couple decades, beansprout." Kanda mocked. Allen paused, thinking up a retort.

"The name's Allen, _Bakanda_." Allen teased, and everyone stilled. Nobody, absolutely _nobody_ who still wanted to live, taunted Kanda. Even _Lavi_ hadn't dared to give him a nickname. The atmosphere was tense as Kanda glared and Allen smirked and everyone else stared in silent fear.

And then Lavi gasped and chortled and burst out in laughter and praised, "I'd kiss you for that, Allen!"

Kanda scowled.

Then he lifted Allen up in a fireman's carry and said, "Ignore that idiot. We're going back to the cabin."

Had the world ended? Was the ship sinking? Oh _no_, it must be the soba deficiency! Because, because they didn't just see Kanda being _nice_. The word itself was anathema to him!

Allen struggled and protested, "I can walk, Bakanda!"

Kanda strode on. "Your wounds are opening, beansprout."

Oh, so that was it. Now that they looked closely, patches of red were beginning to form on Allen's newly wrapped bandages. Then the two left.

For some reason, Jerry, who had only ever seen Kanda being civil at best, felt as though he had just intruded in a very intimate scene.

He blushed.

* * *

Kanda frowned as he dabbed harshly at Allen's wounds _again_.

Allen gritted his teeth and demanded, "Be more gentle, you ass!"

Childishly, Kanda lathered the cloth in alcohol, and _pressed it against Allen's back. _Allen took in a harsh breath and groaned, and Kanda immediately stopped. Without a word, he went on to the bandages and Allen could finally breathe more easily.

In an attempt at making conversation (and at making amends for the food), Allen offered huffily, "You know, about all that food I took…I'll pay you back."

"With what, your body?" Kanda snorted and continued to wrap the bandages around Allen.

"No!" Allen blushed and bristled to cover it up. "There's an island about fourteen miles directly west of here. We can restock there – there's someone who owes me one living on it."

Kanda asked suspiciously, "And how did you know where it was?"

Allen shifted. "From the position of the stars." It sounded suspiciously like a lie, and Kanda did not buy it.

"Yeah? It's daytime now, and I doubt the Navy let you _stargaze_."

"In actual fact, they did. I was tied to the main-mast for a couple of days without food and water." Allen said flatly.

Kanda knew for a fact that daytime at sea was burning hot, and nighttime was freezing cold. He also knew that he probably shouldn't have said what he did.

"I'm sorry." He couldn't remember the last time he'd apologised, actually. But he didn't like to be the one to remind Allen of his torture, and perhaps he didn't want to get onto Allen's bad side, but he'd never admit that.

"Wait. Wait. Did you just apologise? I think my ears just played a trick on me. Can you say it again?" Allen asked in mock-surprise.

Kanda growled, "Don't push it, beansprout."

"It's Allen, Bakanda."

* * *

Hey, guys! I'm glad I managed to update within a week and all, 'specially since school's starting and all that sleepy school atmosphere is creeping back on me. Bleargh.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and thanks for reading!


	3. His Identity

The crew _ooh-ed_ and _ahh-ed_ as the ship sailed smoothly into the bay.

The island looked like a mirage from a desert. Sunlight tinted the abundant greenery, the air seemingly a glowing emerald. Sturdy trees sprouted from the ground, ferns burst from every available spot and vines twisted and twined. Flowers bloomed in all their glory, bright red and pastel blue, colours brighter than even a rainbow. Leaves shook, and a deer burst from it, staring at them curiously before leaping back into the forest. A family of squirrels quarreled in the trees ahead, and a pair of starling nestlings voiced their hunger loudly.

It was noon, and the entire forest was rowdily alive.

The pirates pulled the ship up onto shore, and it was only then that they noticed a small, straying path leading into the forest. Allen leapt onto the small strip of sandy beach barefooted excitedly, and Lavi, in all his mischievous glory, pushed him face-first into the sea.

He came up, spluttering, a starfish happily stuck onto his forehead.

Everyone – except Kanda – laughed at him.

His eyes narrowed. If Kanda were a kinder person, he might've warned Lavi of the impending danger. As it were, he leaned against a shady tree and watched the show.

Allen, like some sort of magician, cleverly pulled a small octopus out of the water – and then he aimed.

And the octopus obligingly squirted ink at Lavi, right into his face. That stopped his laughter immediately, and Allen smiled in a not-so-innocent manner when Lavi, face dripping black mush, glared and towered over him.

Lavi raised his hands threateningly, and he was instantly alarmed when Lavi took a step forward. Allen, who was still half-way sitting in the sea, wriggled back.

Lavi took another step forward. Allen moved backwards again and nearly swallowed seawater. He swallowed nervously.

Then Lavi grinned sadistically, and tackled Allen.

"That tickles! Stop! Stop rubbing your face on my clothes! You ass, you stupid bunny, it's _dirty_! Stop!" Lavi, who was nearly pulling off Allen's shirt to wipe his face with, suddenly found the sharp end of a sword right before his one eye. He shivered.

"Kanda, mate, I've only got one eye left!" He protested.

"Shut up. Stop screwing around, the two of you. We've got supplies to load." Kanda reminded, irked.

Lavi stood up, offering a hand to Allen, who took it. Then he whispered loudly, "Don't mind him, he's just jealous that I get to play with you."

Kanda, who totally heard that, warned in a deathly tone, "Lavi." But maybe his unsheathed sword was the more effective threat, because Lavi shut up and covered his one eye. And then he stumbled away from Kanda in the vague direction of the ship.

Allen watched amusedly.

After five minutes, when the ship was properly moored and everyone had alighted, Allen led them all through the path in the forest. Lavi got pelted with peanuts by a couple of monkeys, but otherwise all was well. Eventually they emerged from the forest and sound exploded from around them.

They found themselves in a large village, or maybe it was a town, with sunflower-coloured townhouses on either side of a street, and the inhabitants stared curiously at them as they continued on. Children playing in the street watched them, openmouthed, as their gazes riveted to Allen. Then finally, a couple of them waved exuberantly, and one screamed, "Allen!"

He turned and waved, smiling, but forged on. Most likely it was because the sight of all these men – pirates, rather, though they didn't really dress as such – was spooking the womenfolk.

At the end of the street, he arrived at a moderately sized house and knocked politely, thrice. After a moment, the door opened.

"Suman," Allen greeted, "It's nice to see you again. How's your daughter?"

The man looked taken aback. Then he gave a surprised smile, though to Kanda it looked slightly forced.

"She's," he paused, as though searching for the right word, "fine. Absolutely fine."

"That's good to hear. And, well, I'm sorry for springing this on you all of a sudden, but would you possibly be kind enough to resupply our ship with enough food, perhaps, for a voyage of about three months. And, uh, that includes a share for me. I'll pay you back someday." Allen smiled sheepishly.

Suman paled.

It seemed as though it pained him to say, "Don't worry about it. It's fine. You saved my daughter from those pirates, and I owe you a large debt for that; you won't have to pay me anything. It's fine. Really." Except his smile was kind of twitching a lot.

Allen appeared not to have noticed. In fact, he looked kind of touched, as though his faith in humanity had been somehow restored.

"Oh, thank you _so much_! I've got no idea when I can next pay you back, in any case," and his smile was entirely innocent considering how thick-skinned he was being, "But if you need anything else, don't hesitate to ask me!"

Suman's lips were twisted into a semi-smile and he looked like he was on the verge of tears. Kanda noticed that Lavi looked highly amused, and he couldn't help but wonder if Allen was just that _thick_, or he was simply that evil. He rather leaned towards the latter. Behind them, the rest of the crew leered as Suman struggled for speech.

"S-sure. I trust you know where the food supplies are kept, so take as…_much_…as you'd…like." Kanda, who didn't have much of a heart, was actually beginning to kind of feel for this guy.

Allen thanked the man once again, and bade him goodbye. Then he walked jauntily away.

Lavi looked back after a while. The man, Suman, he looked like he'd just been relieved from the devil himself.

* * *

They were hauling foodstuffs by the carton to the ship, which was uncomfortably far away from the warehouse, when Allen got apprehended by a villager.

Actually, it happened like this: Allen was sitting on a carton under a tree, waiting for his turn, and they were at the beach passing on the supplies into the ship. Kanda and Lavi were standing under the next tree. And then something – someone, they later realized, barreled into him from behind. Both of them instantly had their hands to the hilts of their swords.

That someone didn't notice. Instead he hastily covered up Allen's eyes and asked, "Guess who?"

Allen froze. And then he replied disbelievingly, "Na…rein?"

The boy let him go with a broad smile, and Allen turned round and gazed in wonder at him. Then affection replaced the look in his eyes, and his smile was magical as the sunrise, and Kanda couldn't help but glare at the stranger.

"It's me. I've missed you." The one called Narein said simply, and enveloped Allen in a hug. Kanda growled. He couldn't tolerate public displays of affection. Lavi, who probably didn't like being ignored, coughed somewhat discreetly.

The two finally noticed them, though Narein only let go – _finally_ – after being treated to Kanda's pointed glare.

"Oh, guys." Kanda didn't like the silent '_You were there?'_ but didn't comment on it as Allen continued, "Meet Narein. Narein, this is Lavi and Kanda. He saved my life." Kanda felt slightly…_smug_.

Narein's expression turned grim.

"Was it the Noahs?" He gripped Allen's forearms tightly, worriedly.

Allen looked away and mumbled, "'S nothing. I was just careless."

Narein didn't buy it, and he stated accusingly, "It was Mana, wasn't it? He died, and you went to them for revenge." Lavi's ears perked up slightly. Even Kanda, surprisingly, didn't interrupt. He wanted to hear more about Allen, even if he didn't like who he was hearing it from.

Allen looked at the ground in discomfit. His friend frowned, and sighed.

"Forget it, it's not like you'll listen. And don't look like that – you know it's true. Forget it. You're safe and sound, and that's what matters." Then he blinked. "Oh, right, I had a message to the pirates." And he turned to Kanda and Lavi and said, "We rarely get any visitors, and the Chieftain decided to hold a celebration in your honor. In fact, the preparations should be done in about half an hour, when the sun sets."

Lavi stared at Allen as though he were a mystery he couldn't figure out, and put to Narein, "You do realize that we're _pirates_, right?"

Narein wasn't fazed, and he replied dismissingly, "You're with Allen. You're trustworthy."

Kanda didn't like how his honour had been decided, but his crew, who had apparently caught the tail end of the conversation, gave him their closest approximation to puppy eyes. He sighed.

"Fine, you're allowed to go for the celebration."

And the crew cheered and tossed their hats.

Amidst the raucous cheering, Lavi questioned teasingly, "Who are you really, Allen?" Narein looked worried by that question.

Allen smiled mysteriously.

"I can't tell you that. You'd kill me."

Kanda believed him, and so he didn't pry any further.

* * *

The party was in full swing at the beach. The locals warmed up to the pirates quickly enough, and most of them were well on the way to being dead drunk. Stories were swapped, jokes exchanged and laughter shared. Up in the clear, starry night, where the stars shone and glittered brightly with all of their mysterious glamour, the full moon hung, its pale luminescence providing them with light.

Kanda meditated against a tree a distance away. He breathed deeply, enjoying the earthy scent of the forest and ignoring the rowdiness nearby.

It didn't work. Each laugh split apart the calm air, each shout contributed to his growing migraine, and each and every voice nagged at his insides. It was downright _irritating_, and eventually he got up and walked swiftly away from the source of his annoyance.

As he got further away, the atmosphere became increasingly peaceful, and the quiet was only disrupted from time to time by the hoots of owls and the footfalls of other predators. A contemplative mood settled around him.

Then he caught the faint, musical sound of a waterfall. Abruptly he changed his course and headed towards that intriguing sound instead. It'd been very long since he'd last swum, and come to think of it, he had no idea why.

He emerged from the trees into a wide open area, the silence magical. A faint breeze blew, and ripples flowed delicately across the surface of a large stream. Sprigs and other flora caressed the sides of the stream, and across, a herd of deer sipped from its waters, barely cautious of him. Water poured from a waterfall taller than himself, the spray reaching even him. The night air was calm, and he paused for a moment to appreciate the scenic view.

And all of a sudden, someone emerged, right in the middle of the stream. He could tell it was Allen at first glance, because there was nothing else that could be as otherworldly as he.

His profile was towards Kanda, and he wore a serene smile. Rivulets of water ran down his back, healed cleanly from its wounds. His eyes were closed, and the moonlight shining on his mother-of-pearl skin made it seem as though he were glowing.

Right then he looked nothing like the Allen Kanda knew; he looked like one of those creatures they called fey. An alien beauty, at once terrifying and unreachable, emanated from him, right down to the plane of his nose and the curve of his lashes. He raised an arm before him, and sleek muscles buried under that slim façade rippled, and every drop of water that fell from his hand echoed loudly.

His mouth, crooked into a smile, was peaceful in a way Kanda had never seen, as though he'd set down a burden Kanda had never noticed. He looked at home in the waters, as though he belonged in it as humans belonged to land. And he opened his eyes, and they were a bright, luminous grey, and this time Kanda noticed that it was a grey more intense than the seas could ever be.

Then Kanda couldn't quite hold back a gasp as a dolphin rose, leaping, out of the water in front of Allen, arching over him and then finally diving down behind him with barely a ripple. And Allen spun round, eyes shining with mirth. His carefree laughter rang intoxicatingly in Kanda's ears, wild and unrestricted.

Water splashed around him in a way it never could naturally, streaming and sloshing around him like followers to a god. As the dolphin popped out of the waters, whistling, Allen moved his arm in a sweeping wave.

An arc of water splashed onto the dolphin's exposed nose. It made squeaking noises of protest and butted Allen with its head. Allen laughed again, and then he dived and rejoined the dolphin under the waters, swimming with broad, strong strokes of his arm.

Within the water, he moved so elegantly, so naturally, that it was like he was dancing.

And Kanda watched on with an air of melancholy, because now he knew.

Allen was a Noah.

And yet, he found himself bewitched by the ethereal figure before him.

Because Allen was no longer _just _a Noah to Kanda. He was stubborn, he was vaguely clumsy, he was slow, and he was irritating, but he was also pure of heart and possessed a strong, unbreakable will. He was skilled, excellent with swords and had a vile monstrosity of an appetite. He was perceptive, overly so sometimes, and he knew exactly how to set Kanda off. He could be rather teasing at times, and antagonistic to only Kanda, and he had a quick temper only when it came to Kanda, and…And beneath it all, he was kind beyond redemption.

_And he was also a Noah.

* * *

_

And here's the next chapter! I suppose it _was _kind of late, but school's the excuse for everything!:D

Hope you enjoyed reading it, and if you didn't, please tell me what was wrong with it?


	4. Kanda's Betrayal

He continued to hide within the shadows of the trees, a silent audience to the nymph-like figure gamboling about the waters. It didn't feel uncomfortable at all for him – in fact, he was so mesmerized, he felt as though he could have watched on forever and ever, unknown to Allen.

The bells rang; the constant peals of metallic clangs were a blight on the serenity of the night – there was an attack.

Kanda cursed inwardly. Allen, alarmed, looked around anxiously and made to slip out of the water. Kanda quickly made himself scarce, heading back to the beach.

As he approached the sandy bay, he could hear the screaming of civilians. Swords clashed, the sound harsh in the night air, and there was the telltale smell of smoke, a fire gone out of control. With his sword unsheathed, Kanda left the cover of the canopy and found himself in the midst of a bloodbath.

Groaning men lay on the ground; the sand dyed with their blood – his men. They fought desperately, but against an enemy thrice their numbers, it meant little. In the dim lighting, Kanda finally recognized the emblem on the enemy's uniforms. It was that of the Noahs' personal enemy, the _Akuma_.

A distance away, Kanda noticed Lavi fighting Tyki Mikk, his face a picture of fury. Vermillion patches of blood stained his clothes, and his movements were jerky, pained. Tyki Mikk hadn't fared much better though, and Kanda felt a surge of satisfaction at his bruised face and pronounced limp.

But the rest of his men were going down one by one. The islanders had all but fled, and the kinder ones retreated with the wounded of the battlefield. He saw Allen's friend, Narein, doggedly tending to one of his pirates – Daisya, he realized – before he went on to yet another one of them.

He took in all this at a glance, as he tensed and prepared to fight. In the corner of his eye, he saw Allen arrive, panting for breath. A determined look lit up his face, and Kanda could guess what he was going to do as he eyed the swelling waves.

He felt a surge of fear, and it wasn't for himself. Without thinking, he made to stop Allen and sprinted towards him.

But he was too late.

The waves swelled and heightened and joined to each other, and that one large mammoth wave towered over them all, a gigantic wall of water taller than the combined height of three full-grown men.

Allen barked out a single word of command. And in that moment, Kanda realized what power meant, as that word echoed around the bay and made him shiver deep in his gut. It was in a language foreign to Kanda, and somehow it triggered a memory within him, of fairy tales and of the capricious fey. If they really existed, then that was the language they probably would have spoken.

In that single instant, the wave crested, its shadow falling over everyone in that bay.

But they all paid no heed to it. All eyes were on Allen. Some looked at him in awe, some in wonder…Others in fear. He beheld them all. It was as though he had captured their souls with his eyes, those eyes filled with sorrow and resignation, those eyes that were looking straight at Kanda. Kanda stared back in shock, his heart thudding in its veins.

Allen smiled softly.

It was a smile that Kanda had seen before, and that twisted his heart.

_Goodbye_, Allen conveyed silently. And Kanda shouted something, anything, to stop him, to break the spell.

Then the moment passed, and the wave broke. It swallowed all, foe and friend alike. And it should have dragged them all into the sea and they should have drowned, but Kanda found he could breathe. He was underwater, but his footing was sure, and he could _breathe_.

He saw the currents sweeping their enemies out into the sea, far, far away till he could no longer see them.

He saw his comrades, both the fallen and the standing, and they were safe and sound and looking lost and bewildered.

He saw Tyki Mikk's secret grin as he too was swept away.

When the wave retreated, he found himself completely dry. He looked to Allen, as many others did, in search of answers.

Lavi, first to regain his wits and for once serious, questioned, "What exactly are you?"

Allen hesitated for a moment, a look of indecision crossing his face. Then he looked at the crew with an air of fatality.

"I'm Allen Walker, son of Mana…The 14th Noah." The silence in response to his words was deafening. He lamely continued, "I guess I'll just help you carry the wounded to the local doctor's place, then?"

Before he took a single step, a pirate, Chaoji, roared at him.

"_No!_ Don't come near us, you…You murderer! _Noah_ filth!"

Allen flinched. He stared pleadingly at the rest of the crew. They stolidly looked away from him. It was an obvious rejection.

Kanda was rooted to the spot, his mind blank and unable to form words. He felt numb as Allen gave that same pained smile again and walked away, shoulders drooped. He looked desolate and alone in the world. Part of him wanted to give chase, but the rest of him was all for duty to his crew, and his crew had already made a decision.

He could only watch on as Allen left. From where he was, he could clearly see the tears that rolled down Allen's cheeks, and he had never wanted so much to go to Allen, and hug him, and comfort him. Anything, so long as Allen never cried again, so long as he could smile as he did at that secret stream, so long as he was happy.

But he chose his crew, and so he only watched on helplessly.

* * *

Allen was feeling worse than when he had been tortured aboard _The Chamberlain's Men_. Perhaps it would hurt less if he had his heart gouged out, he mused. It certainly hadn't been the first time people had avoided him because they feared his power, or because he was a Noah, but these pirates were different. Special.

Narein gracefully sat himself next to him and wiped away his tears.

"Care to talk, my friend?"

Allen shook his head and replied, "It's nothing. I'll be fine. It's just," he swallowed and struggled for words, "only a few hours ago, I could have sworn we were friends. I understand that they hate all Noah, but…Lavi and I, and Marie and Daisya and all the rest, we were _friends_."

Narein looked at him in sympathy and rubbed his back comfortingly.

"I'm sure you were. It's hard to hate you, after all," Narein reassured, but it clearly wasn't working, "But perhaps their hatred for the Noah is simply so deep that they can't see beyond that."

His friend looked into the far distance opposite the stream sorrowfully. Somewhere to their left, the leaves rustled, as a woodland animal picked its way clumsily through the foliage.

"I know. I understand. It's just kind of hard to accept that, well, Kanda wouldn't have saved me if he had known who I was. Or perhaps he would, but rather as a prisoner. Maybe my fate aboard his ship wouldn't have been so different from the previous one, huh?" He smiled tremulously, and Narein flicked his forehead for that.

"Don't try to hide your feelings from me, Allen. You're hurting, and it's those pirates' fault. But you're wrong on one thing – there's no way that Kanda guy would've hurt you. He likes you." Allen let out a surprised laugh, but soon his expression returned to its desolate one.

"He's probably already regretting the fact that he helped me. And ruing how he's lost all those chances to kill me."

"No, he won't. 'Cause I'm here to finish 'ta job." Before he could regain his bearings, there was a sword pressed against his pulse point and his arms were wrung behind him. Allen spun round just in time to see his captor, Chaoji, land a blow on Narein, who collapsed. Instantly he was a bundle of fury, and he struggled mightily.

And then there was a sharp pain, and after that there was nothing.

* * *

I'm sorry for the cliffhanger, but it simply seemed so appropriate to cut the chapter right there. In any case, I'm aware that the pace of this story at certain parts may be all too fast, and I'm sorry for rushing it. If you notice these parts, would you mind pointing them out…?

Oh, and a review would really help, especially 'bout how to make my characters more three-dimensional. But hell, I'd be happy if you even read up till this point, and thanks for staying with this story!


	5. Uncomfortable Revelations

Kanda tossed and turned. Tonight, the woolen sheets seemed to be especially scratchy, the heat trapped within the cabin stifling. He tossed once more. Finally he gave up and just kicked the blanket grumpily away.

The ship was especially quiet tonight. Most of the wounded were staying at the doctor's place, the rest stayed within the ship to keep watch, just in case Tyki Mikk returned for revenge. Not that it mattered – not to him at least.

Tonight, he was haunted by images of Allen, and niggling feelings of guilt. The emotion tore at him with barbed hooks, rendering sleep impossible. He couldn't help but remember how Allen had walked away, his head bowed and looking utterly and uncharacteristically defeated.

Given the choice again, he might have seriously chased after him, Captain's position be damned. Allen wasn't at fault here; he was nothing like the other Noah and he didn't even have the heart for cruelty. He and Kanda had exchanged heated banter daily, but he knew Allen had never meant a single one of his insults, which weren't in the least hurtful anyway.

But what was done could never be undone, and the end result was that Kanda lay fitfully awake, cursing himself and his crew's bias. It was dawn already, and sleep was destined to evade him.

It was then that his sharp ears caught the cry for help. He leapt out of bed, glad for action. Lavi's door swung open at the exact same time as his, and Kanda realized that he hadn't been sleeping either. But it wasn't the time for this.

Down on the blood-stained beach, Narein himself stumbled haltingly to the ship. Blood dripped from his forehead, and from the distance Kanda couldn't determine how badly injured he was. Something had happened, he knew, and he felt a stab of fear as he thought of Allen.

Both he and Lavi nimbly leaped over the ship's railing and jumped down to meet Narein, who started to babble once he noticed them.

"Please, you've got to help Allen, quick! One of your pirates, he took him about an hour ago, and he said it was on your orders, except I know you'd never do that. Please, _help him_!" Narein swayed dangerously on his feet, and only his fevered grip on Kanda's forearms kept him standing.

"Where were they headed to?" Kanda questioned anxiously, the need for urgency instilled within him.

"To…to the coves. That way." Narein pointed.

Lavi spoke up, "I'll tend to his wounds. Hurry up and go!" And then, because the rest of whoever remained on that ship were already awake and gathering on the deck, he added, "You guys stay! The Captain's more than enough to save Allen!"

They all looked kind of guilty at that, and most of them wore worried and anxious expressions. Lavi looked more closely and saw that most of them had terrible shadows under their eyes. He felt a spark of amusement.

_Turns out nobody had any sleep tonight_.

But Kanda didn't notice any of that. In fact, he'd already torn off in the direction Narein had pointed out before Lavi had finished his sentence.

* * *

Kanda arrived at the coves Narein had spoken of, and despaired. They were a riddling maze, and it was near impossible to know which one Chaoji had taken Allen to. If he tried his luck with the coves, then he'd also be trying his luck with Allen's fate – and Allen's fate. Desperate for clues, he looked around. Maybe a shirt had snagged on the sharp-edged stones near here, or maybe…

Maybe there would be a blood trail.

In the growing light, he soon noticed the latter. Panic clenched at his heart.

It had been about an hour and a half since Allen had been taken, and his fate did not bode well. Chaoji had been an avid Noah-hater, ever since his entire ship had sunk together with his surrogate family a couple of years ago. But that was no excuse for his actions.

Kanda was afraid to think that maybe it was too late. And that Chaoji's mission was done, and all that he would find was Allen's bloody corpse. He still needed to make amends, _damn it_!

He gritted his teeth and followed the crimson droplets of blood. In the light of day, the colour was forebodingly intense. His boots made echoing noises in the rapidly darkening cavern, the main light source being the glowing patches of algae clinging to the wall.

The only sound here was the steady _drip, drip-drop_ of water from the icicles. They created a musical tune which ought to have been beautiful, but only got on Kanda's nerves. He wanted to dash towards Allen, but he also knew that he might miss the trail if he hurried. So he forced himself to a brisk walk, and sharpened his ears to any sign of breathing other than his.

He passed through cavern after cavern, some impressively large and fit for kings, others so small it must have barely fitted Chaoji and Allen. They all carried a haunting beauty, the music and the eerie glowing light, but had nothing on Allen.

At the thought of Allen, he fervently hoped that nothing too bad had befallen him, and that the blood he was following so eagerly was Chaoji's. He hurried along, carefully noting any other remains of blood, but the trail had gone cold a few caverns ago.

Now he emerged into the largest cavern he had seen as yet. It was vast, large enough to fit fifty of his ships and more still, and immense and spectacularly unmarked by icicles. Water flowed down the walls of the cavern and along the side of its smooth floor, and Kanda thought that maybe this was the source of the stream he had seen Allen playing in.

Then he noticed the body lying on the ground, dead centre of the cavern. His breath caught in his throat, his heart throbbed painfully, and _please, please let this not be Allen_…

But the gods were against him, it seemed. Allen lay like a broken doll, tear streaks running down his face, a façade of perfection. He was bruised and bloody, as though he'd been through a ferocious beating, and his wrists were tied together behind his back.

There was a knife buried to the hilt in his chest. He lay within a pool of his own blood, eyes closed. Red was the one colour Kanda had hated seeing on Allen.

Kanda fell to his knees and gently, tenderly cradled Allen to himself. He still felt warm, as though Kanda had missed him only by a few seconds. If only he'd been there with Allen, things wouldn't have gotten to this stage. Allen wouldn't have been hurt so badly, and he wouldn't have suffered, and he wouldn't…

Wouldn't be _dead_. Allen wouldn't have been lying limp in Kanda's arms if he were still alive; he'd probably be hurling insults by now. Or maybe he'd have punched Kanda. And it was only now that Allen was _dead_, that he could do these things, that he sweep his lips over Allen's eyes and pretend that he was only asleep. That he could cup Allen's face and rub his thumb over the smooth cheek, and ignore the aching emptiness that said that Allen wouldn't ever respond, and even if he did it would only be to reject Kanda.

The last thing he'd done to Allen was to reject him. The last memory he'd had of Allen was of him crying and walking away. His hold on Allen – Allen's body, he reminded himself – tightened, and fierce regret washed over him. He didn't want this – didn't want Allen to have died in fear, in pain, and all alone. Allen didn't deserve that – he'd saved them all.

And then his eyelids fluttered, and he gasped weakly, "Kanda?"

Kanda was so shocked that he nearly dropped Allen. And then relief overcame him, and for a moment he felt as though he could have plucked the moon from the skies and presented it to Allen, simply for being alive.

Allen smiled guilelessly at him and stated, "I'm glad you're here, Kanda, even if you're only a hallucination. At least I won't be dying alone, eh?"

His good spirits plummeted. He stared at Allen in disbelief, then lifted him up, muttering angrily, "I'm real, and I'm not letting you die, idiot beansprout."

"Whatever you say, Kanda. Hm. Maybe you aren't a hallucination after all." He paused, giving Kanda hope, "Maybe I'm dreaming instead!" Allen declared.

Trust that idiot to irritate him even in his dying moments. He was pallid, face virtually bleached of all colour except for a trickle of blood from his mouth, his breathing unsteady. Yet here he was, still determined to bicker with Kanda.

He was gingerly easing himself and Allen through one of the narrower passageways when Allen spoke again.

"Kanda?"

He quickly replied, "Yes?" because a talking Allen was better than a deathly quiet Allen.

"It was cold at first, but you're really warm. Why did you come, anyway?" He snuggled closer to Kanda's chest, but it was a slight movement that didn't help him in the least. Kanda carefully shifted Allen in his arms instead as he replied in frustration.

"Like hell I could just abandon the weakling beansprout." He said, in an attempt to antagonize Allen into wakefulness. In response, Allen made an 'Mmm' sound, which could have meant anything. "Damn it, beansprout! I'm not going to let you leave me again!"

Allen gazed at him weakly and grinned, though it took him a lot of obvious effort to do so.

"Is that a proposal, Kanda?"

Kanda blushed and muttered something along the lines of 'dying men should be acting like they're actually dying'. Allen's grin faded as though he were losing his grasp on life.

They had left the caverns, returning to bright daylight.

"Y'know, Chaoji told me that you were the one who had ordered me dead, back in the coves. He told me that you thought I was a monster, that I was unwanted, and that you blamed me for getting the crew hurt. He said a lot of things." Kanda's grip on Allen tightened. When he got Allen back in safe hands, he was definitely going to hunt Chaoji down.

Allen continued, "He was right about all those things. But at least now you'll be rid of me." His smile was tremulous. "Goodbye, Kanda Yuu."

Kanda replied tersely, "Shut up, Beansprout. I said it already, I'm not letting you die, damn it."

Allen coughed and said something, but his voice was so soft and desperately weak that Kanda could barely hear a thing. His eyes slid close. Kanda clutched him even more tightly.

Soon he found that he could not see, and there was a tight lump in his throat. He realized that an unwilling tear had found its way down its cheeks. And it was only now that the not-so-ordinary feelings he harboured for one Allen Walker engulfed him, and made him realize what it was.

"Damn it, beansprout. Isn't it enough that _I _want you?"

* * *

As always, thanks for all the support! As a note, though, I've been doing quite a lot of reading, fanfiction-wise, recently, and I realized that my writing was really lacking in some areas – mostly the plot. I didn't quite see how much I'd compromised it over some things before this, really. And I'm really sorry for being too lazy to do a major rewrite of this story, so I suppose I'll compensate in the next story – whenever I get around to a new idea. In any case, I'm really glad there are people out there who actually like this half-assed attempt at a story – I mean, I could kill myself for how poorly I'd developed the characters – so, thanks so much!

And herein ends all my whining, and where I thank you for reading up to this point, and where I promise an update as soon as possible, most likely within a week, as always:D


	6. Inevitable Confession

Somehow Kanda stumbled his way through the forest, somehow he managed to carry Allen all the way to his cabin and lay him on the bed, and somehow he managed to hide his tears from the rest.

They were all solemn, a lonesome group huddled on the deck as Narein tended to Allen within the relatively more sterile environment of the cabin. Kanda sat down at a corner on some crates away from the rest, forearms to his knees and head bent.

It was a long and terrible wait. Lavi was uncharacteristically silent as he leant over the railing and looked out towards the sea. A couple feet away, the crew stared blearily forward, not even reaching for the bottles of rum that lay within a hand's reach.

Allen had been like the light to them. He always handed out his smiles like freebies, he was utterly kind, and he never gave up. Like them, he had been relentlessly working towards a goal – they could see that, even if he'd never told them about it – and had been most refreshingly inspiring, like the smell of grass after rain. In that, they had been comrades-in-arms, and they'd taken to him like moths to light – light that was ephemeral, which burnt painfully bright like a shooting star.

It hadn't come as a surprise when Allen had grown closer to both Lavi and Kanda. All three of them had had their harsh pasts, and it showed, subtly. Thus the crew was also concerned for the latter two, for how they would cope if Allen…

And then they cursed themselves for thinking such foreboding thoughts. Stupid, they thought. Allen wasn't going to die.

Thus the atmosphere was awfully tense, as the men gripped their hands tightly and from time to time looked to Lavi or Kanda, who were as lifeless as statues. Then Narein stepped out of the cabin, and all their heads turned to him.

He didn't look too sad, and Kanda looked at him with hope. Then he said, "He'll live. He heals fast, since he's, well, not like us. There was hardly any need for you to bring him to me in the first place."

Relieved, Kanda spoke up. "Can I see him?"

Narein hesitated. "Allen's got a message for you. He says he's sorry for all the trouble he's caused, and that he'll leave as soon as he's able to."

Immediately, Kanda hissed, "That idiot!" and strode across the deck into the cabin, shoulders tensed and hands balled into fists. The door slammed shut behind him.

* * *

He saw Allen's laborious breaths and the sheen of sweat upon his forehead the moment he stepped in. Surprised that Allen was asleep, Kanda gingerly swept a stray lock of hair behind Allen's ears and forgot his anger.

Allen's eyes snapped open. For a moment he glanced at Kanda fearfully, and Kanda returned his gaze with impunity.

"What, beansprout, you scared of me?" He managed to say it more nonchalantly than he felt.

"No, I – I thought you were _him_. Chaoji." Allen replied with a sheepish smile. A frail smile.

Kanda's eyes softened. Right then he decided to do something he'd probably deny ever doing. Soothingly, he held Allen's hand, their fingers intertwined.

"I won't let him hurt you anymore." He stared directly into Allen's eyes. "I won't ever let anyone hurt you. And I'm only going to say this once, beansprout, so you'd better listen well. You're not a monster. You're powerful, and you're a damn good fighter, but you're not a monster. And you'd better not blame yourself for the crew getting hurt – the villagers found out that it was Suman Dark who'd ratted to the Noah, and even if it hadn't been for you, we'd have clashed with him sooner or later. And for god's sake – you're not unwanted. The whole crew's out there praying for you to get better, and even that idiot Lavi's strangely quiet. Right now, all of them want nothing more than for you to live."

Allen looked troubled, and he chewed over his next words pensively. "You don't understand, Kanda. I've got nothing to live for anymore. Not since Mana died. I've _got_ to go – to take revenge."

Those words stabbed Kanda in his heart.

"So you're saying that there's no one else important to live for?" _Not even me?_ Kanda wanted to demand.

Perhaps Allen saw the unspoken question, because he winced and answered, "I'm just a prisoner you found and took care of. You'll all get over me sooner or later."

Kanda said quietly, "I'll never get over it."

Allen tried to pull his hand away, but Kanda held on obstinately. "You will. It's how humans are – time dulls their emotions."

"I thought you died, once. I wanted to join you." His words were calm as ever, but there was an underlying tone of choked pain to it.

"You're lying." Allen was being plain obstinate, as though he simply refused to see the truth, and it was driving Kanda up the wall.

"I've never lied to you!" Kanda exclaimed vehemently. "Beansprout – I didn't think you were that stupid, to actually seek your own death. At least with us, you'll have a better chance!"

Allen shook his head, dismissing his claim. "Regardless, I shouldn't involve you. You've done enough; you even _saved my life_, Kanda."

"Look, I don't want you to die, alright? I didn't save you just to have you die on me!"

"So it's fine either way, isn't it – so long as I don't die in front of you?" Allen bit out in frustration.

Kanda stared at him in shock, and then whispered, "Is that how you truly feel? Do you really believe I'd think it'd be _fine_?"

Allen turned away, mumbling, "You're human – you wouldn't care 'bout someone like me."

Kanda growled furiously.

"Damn it, beansprout, don't you see how much I fucking care about you? You idiot – I can't believe I've fucking fallen for such an idiot!" He raged.

There was a very, _very_ heavy pause.

Allen looked stunned. He stammered, "Y-you can't _possibly_ – not _me_, I mean, there's no–" And right then Kanda kissed him just to shut him up.

Or maybe it wasn't just because of that, even if the beansprout was being so damn annoying. It was more because he'd wanted to do that for quite some time now, even as he only realized that fact rather belatedly. The beansprout's lips tasted of blood, and they were soft like a girl's, he mused. His arm snaked around Allen's head, and pulled him closer. He lingered on Allen's lips for a couple more seconds, just to memorize the taste of it, before he deviously licked Allen's bottom lip.

Allen gasped and trembled. Finally Kanda retreated, a satisfied smirk on his face. He would have been perfectly willing to kiss the beansprout longer if it hadn't been for the beansprout's need to breathe.

"Feel like believing me now, beansprout?"

And his words, complete with Allen's embarrassed flush and distinct speechlessness, would have made for a wonderful finale to their argument.

_If_, of course, it had not been for the loud cooing noises coming from the direction of the door – and it didn't sound like anyone was making an effort to hide their snooping, long-nosed presence. Kanda swiveled around and gave them a hard glare.

He might as well have glared at the wall instead for all the effect it had. Lavi, at the forefront of the snooping contingent, was grinning foolishly at them and giving them flying kisses, which made Kanda's fingers itch for his sword. Behind him, Jerry had his hands clasped together and held to his chest, and he had a most fanatical smile on his face. Daisya and Marie were there too, giving him smug, knowing looks, which made him feel rather murderous. In fact, the whole crew was there, making the most awful kissing sounds at them – complete with puckered lips.

Beside him, Allen groaned. For a moment he felt alarmed – was his condition worsening, he wondered anxiously – till he saw Allen adopting the camel's philosophy and burying himself under his blanket. Then Kanda, most ungenerously, tugged the blanket away from Allen. He received a mutinous glare.

"I'm not suffering through this alone, 'sprout."

"It's Allen! And this was your entire fault!" He protested.

"You enjoyed it as well." He stated.

Allen turned a flaming red. Really, he was going through a whole plethora of the red shades today, Kanda thought amusedly.

At that point, Lavi decided to assert his presence.

"So, beansprout! Yu's declared his passion for you in such a dramatic manner, so what's the verdict: Do you love him, or do you not?" Catcalls and whistles sounded from the enthusiastic crew, and Lavi made drumming noises.

Kanda decided to make his death a certainty, rather than a possibility. _After_ Allen answered, of course. And naturally, he wasn't nervous about how Allen would reply. Not at all. As such, he was also not staring resolutely – desperately, some idiots might have described it – at Allen, who was avoiding his eyes.

For some reason, he suddenly felt very conscious of himself. So far, all the advances had been made by him – in fact, Allen hadn't even said anything that indicated Kanda's importance to him. Quite the opposite, actually.

But then again, he hadn't resisted the kiss…

And Kanda realized that he was being sappy, and stupid, _and_ that the idiot beansprout still hadn't replied. _Shit_.

"Look, 'sprout, no matter how you feel, you're still welcome to join the crew. You don't have to…_force_ yourself to say something you don't want to." Kanda said under his breath so that only Allen could hear. His spirits plummeting, he got up to leave, and the chair made an awful skidding sound that somehow resonated with his heart.

He told himself that he was fine with it, even if he most obviously wasn't. Even if he cared for the beansprout so damn much it hurt not to have him care back…

"Wait!" Allen said anxiously and grabbed Kanda's hand. "I don't – I mean, I…" He carded his hand through his hair, messing up the locks, "I do, I lv' you, I mean."

Kanda couldn't really believe his ears. He kind of wanted to ask Allen to repeat himself, but it had obviously taken him a lot of effort to say that, and –

"I can't hear youuuuuuuu," Lavi taunted in a singsong manner, and this time even Allen felt like clubbing him repeatedly on the head with his stupid broken sword. Kanda stared at him with an expression of murderous rage. Lavi grinned, pulling Daisya in front of him. "I'll shut up over _his_ dead body, Cap'n."

Allen groaned, again. "Fine, I get it! Kanda's an idiot, and a brute, and he's evil and dumb and stupid, but I damn well love him, alright? Are you satisfied, _huh_?"

Kanda didn't know whether he should be pissed off or happy about that confession. But, the sight of the expression of mock-innocent disgruntlement as Allen had _insulted_ him persuaded him to the former. Come to think of it, he hadn't even taken revenge yet for being called a she-man, and now even his intelligence had been victimized.

His thoughts veered into a homicidal direction.

Then Allen coughed discreetly, and Kanda saw how worryingly pale he was.

"Get some rest, beansprout," and as Allen's grip on his hand tightened, he added, "I'll be here with you."

Allen flashed him a sickly smile.

"I'm fine, Bakanda. And it's Allen."

The rest of the crew sensibly retreated from the doorway and closed the door behind them, sensing the no-visitors mood Kanda was in.

Only Lavi noticed how expertly Kanda was being played, and he prayed to never cross Allen.

He'd sooner give Kanda a fluffy pink tutu for Christmas.

* * *

And here's the update! I'd say it's terrible, and the style probably isn't very consistent – I rewrote it, and I _suck_ at rewrites – but hell, there are so many wonderfully kind souls out there who's been so supportive of my writing (even if personally, I still think I have very far to go) that I really must thank you. It's been so encouraging that I even feel bad for criticizing myself.

Here's my honest opinion: this chapter's so bad I ought to have rewritten it, but I simply didn't want to post it too late. And, uh, it's really okay if you agree. As in, seriously, I'm sure at least a couple of you think so too, right? And I'm not fishing for flames; it's just that every one of the reviewers seem to like this story so much, I'm beginning to think that I'm actually a very pessimistic person (which definitely isn't true), and that the world is a much kinder place than I thought! Which is possible, but unlikely, and I refer to the Iraq War here.

In any case, thanks for reading this story, and for all the feedback! :D


	7. Out for Blood

Kanda gazed protectively at Allen. He still hadn't quite gotten over the fact that _he_ had confessed to Allen, let alone that Allen actually, impossibly, returned his feelings. But there the proof was, in Allen's fingers clasped tightly around his, and perhaps in the look of serenity Allen wore in his sleep. In fact, he hadn't ever seen Allen let his guard down around others.

That small point kind of helped his ego – Allen trusted him and him only.

There was only one small matter left to tie up, and instantly his mood soured as he thought of that one person. That traitor, that damn beast who'd _dared_ to hurt Allen, and said all those goddamned falsehoods that had made Allen so close to leaving him.

Chaoji.

That guy was a damn pagan. He might have suffered at the Noah's hands, and consequentially ended up being so anti-Noah, but he had no right at all to wound Allen – not when he was guilty of nothing.

_No right at all._

Kanda's brows furrowed at the thought. No, he certainly still had some matters left to settle, and it was best to settle them whilst Allen remained blissfully asleep.

He gently slipped his hand out of Allen's grasp – maybe Allen sensed it, because even in his sleep, he looked slightly disquieted – and drew the covers more securely around Allen. Then he left the room, sword by his side and with a look of murderous rage that had his crew scampering to get out of the way.

No one dared to cross him when he was out for blood.

* * *

Lavi was _not_ slacking. He was merely swinging in a hammock and constructively getting out of his crew's way. And if there had been one or two cries of 'Get yer lazy ass here, Lavi, and start working!'…

Well, he simply hadn't heard them.

But that didn't change the fact that he was _bored_, and now that Allen was asleep and would likely be royally pissed if he was awoken, and Kanda had degenerated into some sappy lovestruck fool wound around Allen's little fingers, he didn't have _anything_ to do. So of course, he wouldn't have been able to help it if Kanda had stalked right past him radiating bloodlust, and he had – in a show of concern for his Captain's wellbeing – followed him. Y'know, just in case he, uh, got stabbed. Or whatever.

Lavi leapt down from the hammock, a savage grin plastered on his face, his trusty sword in hand. He had an idea what this was about.

"Yuu, don't you think you'd need some backup?" Lavi called, sprinting after his captain.

Kanda snorted and increased his strides. "Not when it's scum I'm up against. And that's Kanda to you."

"Count me in, Yuu," Lavi said, ignoring Kanda's words, "I've got the same score to settle with him."

Kanda studied him, eyes narrowed, and then finally pronounced, "Suit yourself. But don't get in my way."

He gave a mock salute. "No worries there, Captain! I'll stay safely behind the sidelines, watching as you kick his ass." Which was the truth. All he wanted was a few answers – like whether Chaoji had been acting by himself, or in the unlikely event, was collaborating with a Noah. If Kanda happened to be in danger, then it was just as well that he was there. And seeing Chaoji get his just desserts would be quite a plus too.

Despite how he behaved, Lavi could be fiercely loyal, especially to his friends, even the newly-made ones – like Allen.

Kanda knew this, and so did Allen.

* * *

Allen himself was just stirring awake. He smiled a little as he recalled the recent happenings and turned to give Kanda a smartass remark, when he noticed that Kanda _wasn't_ there.

Allen frowned. Hadn't he promised to stay?

He sat up, wincing as his wounds chafed. Checking them, he noted that he was well on the way to recovery, and a sardonic smile played on his lips. Trust even his recovery rate to be inhuman.

Which begets the question, why wasn't Kanda here? He felt a twinge of fear. Perhaps he had regretted his words, and he hadn't really meant them…

Allen promptly derailed himself from that train of thought. He shouldn't have doubted Kanda. But really, what else could Kanda be doing right now?

A thought occurred to him – and it wasn't a pleasing one. _Oh, shit_. He moaned and buried his face in his arms. That idiot couldn't possibly have gone for revenge or anything like that, could he? Chaoji might have nearly killed him, but at least he was still safely ensconced in the realm of the living – _in Kanda's bed, actually_, his mind added – and there was no need to hurt someone else on his behalf! Chaoji was only human, of _course_ he had been freaked out by his power! It wasn't his fault if he had thought Allen to be a spy for the Noahs, or part of some elaborate plot, or some other conspiracy like that!

He struggled out of bed, testing his limits. Walking was alright, apparently, and the stitches would probably hold if worst comes to worst and he had to fight. Pulling on a shirt and shoes, he cursed Kanda vehemently for making him do this on an empty stomach. Of all the horrors!

To add to it all, he didn't have a sword of his own. Oh, trust the Lord, but Kanda was going to _pay_, Allen thought as he smiled genially. Keeping the smile carefully on his face, he left the cabin, shutting the door behind him. The nearest crew member – Doug – took one look at his face and instantly turned away so fast he looked like he might have gotten whiplash.

Still smiling, Allen walked up to him and asked concernedly, "Is something the matter, Doug?"

Doug took a step back. Finding himself up against the railing already, he shook his head frantically and stammered, "N-no, no, 'c-course not!"

Allen's smile broadened. "Say, you wouldn't object to lending me your sword just for a little while, would you? You see, I really need to," his fingers clamped down on Doug's shoulder in a not-so-friendly manner, "go after some _idiots_."

Doug hesitated. He remembered the fate of Lavi's sword, and he really, really did love his sword. A throbbing pain came from his shoulder.

"If it's too much trouble…" Allen broke off, offering up a very, _very_ understanding smile.

Doug gulped and shook his head again.

"N-no, it's fine, you can have it, here!" He thrust the sword into Allen's hand, only too eager to offer it. Allen blinked, as though he were surprised.

"Thank you so much, Doug! I'll definitely return it to you." And he turned and walked away, a menacing air in his strides and wearing a smile Satan would scream at. People got out of his way instantaneously.

They all liked Allen very much, really, but he could be so _terribly_ scary at times. Especially during poker, but that was a story for another time.

Doug, on the other hand, doubted that he would get his sword back in one piece.

The rest thought that he had gotten off lightly, with his sanity still intact.

And then Allen flashed them all a smile and left, and for once they found themselves praying for Kanda and Lavi.

* * *

Kanda felt the chills. Beside him, Lavi sneezed.

"Yuu, I think someone's talking about me."

Kanda glared to shut him up. They were heading to the coves, where Chaoji was likely sheltering at temporarily. It must be done as covertly and quickly as possible – he had impressed the importance of Allen not ever finding out about this to Lavi, who had been grimly agreed.

Turns out that even the stupid rabbit had an ounce of sense in him.

Oh, he knew that Allen played him at times, but he'd let it go for now, while Allen was still confined to the bed. He suspected that Allen knew he knew too. Hell, even he could be nice by his own standards for short periods of time – especially to Allen.

But he wasn't going to kid himself – this wasn't for Allen's sake. It was for himself, for not having been able to stop this before it happened. He gripped his sword tightly. Allen had suffered enough, and he wasn't going to leave this thorn in his side alone so that he could make Allen suffer any more.

They had reached the coves. Both of them were carefully silent, and there wasn't a sound in the coves except for maybe the drip-drip-drip of water in some hidden cavern.

The walls were a multicoloured hue of mismatched colours, covered with a glowing layer of algae that smelled like rotting vegetables. This time Kanda knew where to go, and he led the way towards where he had found Allen. He tried not to recall the state Allen had been then, all beaten up and bloodied and…

He'd never let Chaoji off lightly.

Lavi followed him, silent and for once serious, as they strode through the maze. He had probably seen the trail of blood that was still quite fresh – there was a rare look of vengeance on his face.

Kanda held up a hand before the entrance of the last cove and signaled for Lavi to unsheathe his sword. He held his own warily before him, cautious of traps that Chaoji would definitely have set if he had even a single brain cell in that head of his. Chaoji would never be able to defeat them otherwise.

They heard the sound of a fire crackling, its light casting them into shadow. They heard the sound of boots shuffling, and of an aggrieved sigh.

Kanda stepped out of their hiding place, Lavi following close behind. He stood tall and imposingly, his sword angled towards Chaoji.

"You have thirty seconds to explain why you did that to Allen." He spat, barely restraining himself from executing Chaoji on the spot.

Chaoji blinked, astonished.

"You… Don't you understand? He's one of _them_! They killed my whole family, even Lady Anita and Mahoja, and they even killed Alma too! And Lavi, they killed your grandfather, Bookman!" Lavi stiffened at the reminder.

"You have no right to mention him. He'd never hurt the innocent." Lavi said coldly.

"But that thing's a Noah! He's probably been spying on us all this time – how could you trust him? He's the enemy! Oh, _no_, has he bought you all over? You didn't really believe his innocent façade, did you? He deserved all that he got! Everything – it was all an act! Look at him – at that power – he isn't even _human_! I was only trying to protect you all before the worst happened. Didn't you realize? That pirate attack was all his doing. _He_ alerted them!" Chaoji declared passionately.

Lavi was shaking furiously, and Kanda was doing his best to hold himself back.

"That pirate attack was Suman Dark's doing, not Allen's." Kanda said tersely.

"You're lying!" Chaoji bellowed. "Suman hates the Noah, just like me! He was the one who told me where I could find Allen!"

They both froze. Suman was the mastermind behind everything? No, he was most probably working with the Noah. It sounded just like the Earl to do something like that too – what he couldn't have, he made sure nobody else could have.

But right now that wasn't important.

"You betrayed us. You claimed that it was on my order that you hurt Allen," Lavi stared him down, "when none of us would have done something so debase. You behaved exactly like a Noah would have. What has Allen ever done to you?"

Chaoji shook his head obstinately.

"Allen's a _Noah_. He doesn't deserve to be so happy, to be smiling, when many of us are still suffering from their attacks."

"And that was why you tried to kill him, and told him that he was a monster, that nobody wanted him around, and all the other lies?" Even Lavi could hear the fury in Kanda's words.

"He _is_ a monster." And that was the last straw.

Kanda leapt at him, sword aimed at his heart. There was a great metallic clang as their swords clashed and Chaoji was pushed back under Kanda's barrage of assaults. He wasn't in a hurry to end this – he wanted to make this as painful as possible – and he held back just a little, enough for Chaoji to block, just barely.

He had never played around with his prey, but this time was different. Chaoji deserved to suffer. He continued to fight, swiftly and powerfully, and saw that Chaoji was beginning to tire from having deflected so many of Kanda's attacks. He was bleeding from a number of cuts as well – Kanda hadn't tried too hard to keep from drawing blood.

It was really quite pathetic. Chaoji was no match for him at all. He panted furiously, and reacted too slowly, and he was clumsy and heavy on his feet as well. Kanda had half a mind to just settle it in one blow, if it weren't for the fact that he wanted to see Chaoji suffer.

He _had_ to get even with Chaoji, even if it was through cruel means.

Lavi hung back in the shadows, quiet, unsure if he should intervene, not when Chaoji did deserve what he was getting. But he wished that it wasn't Kanda who was doing it – this didn't suit him, this wasn't Kanda. Kanda would've stabbed Chaoji in the heart, once, and then wiped his sword clean. He would have finished the fight as fast as possible, as cleanly as possible. But it was only fair to put Chaoji through what he'd done to Allen himself, though it wasn't even half as bad as that.

But he _did_ wish that Allen was here.

Allen would never agree with this.

* * *

Hope you enjoyed this! Thanks for reading, as always, and since it's unbeta-ed, please point out any spelling mistakes if you see them. Thanks!

Oh, and honestly, I'm not too pleased with the way this story is going. It's like there's something missing - I don't know, more action? Adventure? Interaction? Or maybe I should explore their characters a little more, or maybe their pasts? Perhaps the pace is too slow, or too fast? Really, if you have any idea, please do tell me!:D


	8. Allen's Revenge

In the midst of heated battle, Kanda sensed something flying towards him. Instincts kicked in, and he immediately ducked. Chaoji wasn't as lucky. Lavi saw, with his picture-perfect memory, the shocked expression as his eyes widened in shock, then fear.

It was striped, a nauseous purple against black, with a vicious skull-like face and the wings of a butterfly, only about twenty times larger. The thing – _Tease_, Lavi recalled with impending fury – landed on Chaoji. It was instantaneous – a single, precise bite, followed by a half-strangled scream, and Chaoji died, his eyes rolling up to show only the whites.

The Tease didn't stop there. A whole swarm of them, wings rustling loudly in the still air, fluttered in through another entrance. Both Kanda and Lavi raised their swords preemptively, but the Tease merely joined their comrade. Chaoji was hidden beneath the many wings, but the sounds of bones cracking, of human meat being chewed and of blood being drunk ensued. It wasn't hard to guess what was happening to the dead body.

They both turned their attention to the entrance – the Noah was never far from his pets. Their shoulders tensed, and swords held high, they waited.

Sure enough, Tyki Mikk strolled in languorously, as though this was only a walk in the park for him. He wore his signature grin.

"Nice to meet you, Cap'n. How's the boy doing?" Tyki Mikk asked with a smirk, as though he knew what had happened to Allen.

They kept their guard up as he continued to near them.

"You masterminded this. You got Suman to spy for you – in exchange for his daughter's life." Kanda stated.

Tyki Mikk affirmed, "Certainly. Let's keep this a secret between us," he bent forwards and lowered his tone mockingly, "but his daughter is long dead. Or maybe she's out whoring herself on the streets – who knows?"

Behind Kanda, Lavi snarled. Kanda cautiously angled himself between the two, keeping a careful eye on the Noah.

"Are you the only Noah on this island?" Kanda questioned bluntly.

Tyki Mikk shrugged noncommittally. "Who knows?"

And Kanda decided that that was the end of the discussion, since the Noah clearly wasn't going to be volunteering anything. Whispering for Lavi to support him, he leapt forward, eyes narrowed.

He put all of his strength into that first slash, and the Noah wolf-whistled as their swords clashed. Kanda noticed that his grin looked slightly strained. An instant later, Lavi entered the fray and aimed for the Noah's blind spot, only to have the blow parried. His sword glanced off, and he made for another blow, only to be distracted by one of the Tease. Another one joined it, and another, and soon Lavi was surrounding, his swords hacking effortlessly at the multitude of carnivorous butterflies.

After that point, Kanda couldn't be sure of anything. All he knew was that he had started to use both his swords, but otherwise it was a flurry of desperate movement, as both sides struggled to dodge the fatal blows and strike the other. He was fast, sure, but the Noah was just as obscenely fast as him. Perhaps faster, even.

A while later – it could have been seconds, or minutes, for all he knew – he realized that he was bleeding. The Noah was, too, but that accursed grin was still stuck permanently on his face. Lavi was still stuck with getting rid of the butterflies, so there would be no backup from that side, either.

Allen would kill him for this later.

Lavi perhaps had noticed and recognized that look on his face, because he frantically shouted, "Kanda, don't, it's not worth it!" And then, maybe because his expression was most definitely not one of acquiescence, Lavi continued, "I'll tell on you to Allen!"

Damn, but did Lavi really think he was that whipped?

He ignored Lavi, proceeding instead to release his curse. Kanda could feel the markings upon his chest grow, wrapping around him like tentacles. It was inevitable, he told himself. The Noah waited patiently for him – almost courteously, in fact.

"Ready?" Tyki Mikk asked.

Kanda didn't bother dignifying him with a verbal reply. He lunged towards the Noah, sword masterfully wielded, then changed the angle of his attack the moment the Noah raised his to divert it.

It didn't work. At the last moment, the Noah sidestepped, albeit with rather less grace than before. He smiled grimly.

Kanda kept up a relentless pace of attacks. He was feeling much stronger than before – faster, and more powerful. Tyki Mikk parried, but with far less accuracy than before. This was it – he could finally kill the Noah, once and for all.

He prepared himself for the finishing blow, remaining alert to any holes in the Noah's guard. In the end, it was Lavi who gave him the opportunity.

A small throwing knife flew in the Noah's direction. Tyki Mikk evaded it, cursing, and tried to block Kanda's blow from the opposite direction. But it was too late. Kanda's sword flew down in a stunningly beautiful arc, reflecting the little light in the cavern so it seemed as though it were glowing, down towards the Noah's long-deserved end…

From seemingly nowhere, his blade was stopped – caught, in fact, by a plump white hand from behind Tyki. Never in his wildest dreams had he been so entirely overpowered like that before, as the hand's grip tightened.

His sword shattered.

Kanda was stunned, but his reflexes were still in place, and he took a few cautious steps back. All of a sudden, a leering face came into view – the owner of the hand, emerging from what could only be a door.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Tyki Mikk's face once again relaxed into a grin. Kanda was left with no doubts – this person could only be the infamous Millennium Earl.

Perhaps he wouldn't be able to leave this place alive, after all.

With a heavy heart, he held up his other sword. He'd do his best to bring the enemy down with him, at least.

The Millennium Earl spoke, "Now, now, Tyki-pon, what did I say about playing? You don't have time to be doing this! Now, chop chop, go and get back our 14th!" Then he turned to Kanda and continued, his leer stretching impossibly wide, "How wonderful! Isn't this the first time we met, now, Captain? This isn't very polite, is it – to hurt one of my precious family! How do you think I should repay you, hmm?" There was a dangerous glint in his eye.

Kanda scoffed.

"I'll kill you, scum."

He saw Tyki Mikk raise an eyebrow, impressed. But now wasn't the time for that – he watched, prepared, as the Earl took hold of his sword. It looked rather than a broadsword, and Kanda mentally assessed its quality. Naturally, it was top-grade.

The sounds of battle had stopped some time ago – he could only assume that Lavi had defeated the butterflies. Now he could only trust Lavi with defeating Tyki.

As he stepped forward, determined to eradicate the threat before him, he couldn't help but think of Allen.

Allen, who he'd probably never see again.

* * *

Allen was in an extraordinarily good mood. For all that he was starving, and that BaKanda had run off for a fool's revenge, _and_ that his wounds still hampered him slightly – in order of importance, of course – the sun was still shining, the birds were still singing, and being a Walker, he had a natural tendency to optimism.

_Keep moving forward_, he thought to himself.

Besides, he had a shiny new sword, and he had a whole apology to prepare because he wasn't intending to keep it whole. He grinned. Poor, _poor_ ol' Doug. And he had his own, personalized revenge to take, in as non-violent a manner as possible.

So he was taking a shortcut to the coves, and rather happily at that, when he detected a certain ominous presence which rather murdered all of his cheer. A gate had been opened.

The Millennium Earl was here.

Immediately his thoughts ran to Kanda and Lavi, who almost certainly were in danger, and his run became a frantic, full-out sprint.

_What's _he_ doing here?_

He entered through the hidden entrance only he and Narein knew about, and expertly navigated the short maze that followed. When he neared, though – he carefully kept his footsteps silent; his panting softened. Any advantage would be good in attacking the Earl.

Thus he arrived rather secretly, just in time to see the Earl brace his sword, and Kanda stepping forward.

Panic made him throw all caution to the wind, even as he automatically put on his signature half-smile, and speak out.

"Good afternoon, Earl."

Their reactions were instantaneous. Kanda shouted, "Get away, beansprout!" while the Earl swiveled towards him in an expression that he could almost believe was pure happiness.

"Why, 14th! You look fine, as always!" The Earl exclaimed. Allen strode calmly towards Kanda, keeping his eye on the Earl all the while.

"No thanks to you, Earl. As I recall, we still have a debt to settle, no? Two, in fact." Allen's grin grew to rival the Earl's. "I'm afraid you won't be catching me by surprise this time." He placed a hand on his sword as a silent threat.

The Earl assessed him for a moment. Then, all the air seemed to escape him as he sighed and said, "Unfortunately, I don't have time for this today. Your master's been making quite the ruckus, see. But, rest assured you'll certainly come back home, if not of your own volition, my dear 14th!" He turned to Tyki and grabbed him by his collar, then retreated through the door. "Adieu for now, Allen Walker!"

Allen didn't release his sword till he was certain the door closed entirely. Only then did he turn towards Kanda.

"Who's that?" Allen indicated the pile of human remains a distance away. He had an idea, of course, but he didn't quite want to believe it.

Kanda said flatly, "Chaoji," and Lavi nodded in affirmation.

Allen turned his eyes away, saddened. A heavy silence came down on them for about a minute, while Allen prayed for the dead man. After which, Kanda brusquely led the way out of the cove, away from the nightmarish memories, and out into the strong sunlight.

Now that they were out here, Lavi, being very pragmatic, couldn't help but think of more immediate worries, such as whether Allen was mad–

"Oh, and Kanda? Lavi? I was just wondering, but did you keep me in the dark about going after Chaoji on purpose?" Allen wore a perfectly innocent face, but his words didn't mask the threat behind it.

_Say yes, and you're dead. Say no, and I'll make sure you'll want to be dead_.

Oh, yes. The two got the message crystal-clear, and Lavi gulped nervously. Kanda made an irritated noise, said something under his breath about having better things to do than talk to a dumb beansprout, and made to walk away.

"Are you running away, BaKanda?" He froze, hearing the cutthroat smile in Allen's voice.

And woe the one who got on Allen's wrong side, Lavi thought. He smiled nervously, and went ahead with the one way which would save them all.

Lavi put an arm around Kanda's shoulders, saying, "Now, now, beansprout. Yuu here's not running away, the both of us, see, we're needed back at the ship. We've got really important roles, see, and…" He trailed off, laughing weakly. Inside, his stomach was churning at the innocent, innocent smile Allen wore.

Allen's eyes were strangely dead as opposed to the smile, and Lavi could only imagine the thoughts going through his mind at the moment – for example, _A Thousand and One Ways to Happily Skewer a Rabbit_.

"Really." Allen deadpanned.

And Lavi was _this_ close to bursting into tears and begging forgiveness, because he would rather poke a sleeping tiger in the eye than go through what happened the last time he stole Allen's food _again_. Beside him, Kanda looked slightly green.

* * *

I'm really, really sorry for the late update. There's been a lot going on lately, but you can put all the blame on my procrastination. As always, criticism's much appreciated – desperately begged for, in fact – and I really do want to know what you guys want to see more in this story. For example, more cameo of a certain character, more fail humour, etc.? Thanks for all the support!


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